rattle/noise
 

hi everyone...i have a rattle coming from the the right front door armrest closest to the b pillar...it sounds like glass rattling that is the best i can describe it but i dont think it is the glass..the noise sounds like it can come from behind the airbag emblem on the door or under the armrest..is there any way to remove the top of the armrest to see if anything in underneath qm..thanks rob

Follow this to remove the panel, it's not that hard just take your time in removing the inner foam padding, try not to tear it. Maybe use a hair dryer to soften it if you are in a cold(ish) climate: http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/e...nt-bmw-x5.html

or you can see an actual video of trim removal by Bavsound here: YouTube - 1 BMW X5 Speaker Package

Once the trim is off look for something loose. Good luck.

Yea I've had a number of rattles in my X5 like many have....rear hatch and window regulators being the common culprits. Check the window regulators and of course for anything loose in the door. Dealers have been able to solve many door rattle issue in the past.

Good luck!

Hi. Sorry to resurrect this post. I have recently started to hear a rattle in my driver door, but it only occurs when the window is not all the way rolled up. So even if the window is cracked ever so slightly, I hear a rattle. What could be loose?

Also, I have been living with a rattle in my trunk hatch for sometime now. Does anyone have a DIY to tighten this up? It has happened before, and the dealer tightened it up since it was still under warranty, but now that it is out of warranty, I would rather do it myself.

Any clues?

Thanks!

I just removed my regulators, did mrbmwx5's copper wire treatment to prevent them from braking, tightened every bolt I could get my hands on...and the window still rattles when its down and the door is closed. I've actually had people mention it to me :( The back doors don't have this problem, they have a nice solid sounding thud. I'm at a loss here.

RPX5, did you figure this out? I have the same issue. It started one day when i rolled the window down and it made a loud crunching sound as if something broke. Since then, when the window is partially down it rattles. But when I hold the window steady with my hand, it goes away. I sounds like something is vibrating against the glass.

Crunching sound means you need to replace your regulators, so you literally need to stop using that windows from this point on until you can replace it. There have been instances of where the regulator cable snapped, causing the window to drop inside the door...even break.

As for virbrating, I've taken the door panels off in the front more than once...still can't find where it's hitting. I've removed, threadlocked and tightened every bolt I think I could find, siliconed little areas where I thought it was touching and nothing changed. I've just learned that if the windows are down, to not let them slam closed on their own but instead to close them completely using my hand.

.... ok folks I have the same issue with rattling driver's window when open (even slightly). X5 is still under warranty and this Friday is going to dealership for some minor glitches to be taken care of including window issue. I will post outcome; hopefully some of you fellas might find it useful.

Cheers ;)

Sorry folks for slight delay in my post. Vehicle is back and addressed window rattle is fixed. Hope it helps!
Attachment 42971

BMWMMM, is the window lifter the same as the window regulator? I think i need a new regulator but the part no i found was 51338254911 (left front)

If you do a search on ebay there are people making window regulator repair kits that work perfectly for $20.00

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/g/i/234.png

For those with the rattling front window issue, replace part # 7. BMW part #51338254781. There's 2 per door, but chances are only the one is cracked, worn out, or missing completely. These are the clips that hold the bottom of the window to the regulator. Once they break loose, they will cause the window to rattle when closing the doors.

The Hustler, coming through! At only a few dollars a piece, I'll have to give them a try...my front passenger door is embarrasing and I've had the panels off like 3 times now.

I changed both my front window regulators and 2 clips per window. They still seem to go up and down slow. Time to change the motor?

Or some lube

:iagree:.....Try that before replacing a motor.
....Although the motors on these windows dont usually crap out all too often.

Dont overtighten the bolt that holds that clip in place, otherwise you'll be at square one. The rattle you're hearing isn't so much the window hitting the regulator tracks, its likely the bolt threads hitting the window since the plastic clip no longer prevents the bolt from being in contact with the glass.

Its the cable and pulley that have the problems. Don't try WD40, get in there and throw in some actual grease, and be generous...roll it up and down, reapply, the wheels, cable, etc. There is really nothing you can do inside the window tracks without getting grease on the window itself, but I guess you could try there as well.

Yeah, it seemed pretty fragile while I was in there applying locktite to the bolts. I'll order those pieces you mentioned tomorrow and see what happens. I tried applying silicone, slamming the door to see where it transferred to the window, all to no avail.

I used Mobil 1 Synthetic grease on the tracks, cable, and pulley when I last went behind the panels. And the grease is no biggie since you can clean it off afterwards with little effort.

I've seen cable/pulley issues, as well as the clip that travels up and down the track cracking at the ends... But I cant recall a motor going out.

I've got the same stuff...love WalMart. I did MrBMWX5's reinforcement trick using some electrical wiring I had laying around, so now all that I've got left to fail is the pulleys.

To be honest I am really not so sure, sorry.

Thanks X5745li & CharlieHustle!!

I found the kit for $12.00. Unfortuantely the seller says no instructions are provided.

I'm not very technical, On a scale of 1 to 10 how difficult would you rate this job?

Here is the link to the ebat repair kit
BMW X5 E53 98/08 WINDOW REGULATOR REPAIR KIT FRONT - L: eBay Motors (item 220629357050 end time Jul-08-10 13:08:15 PDT)

Here is a link to a pic of the part # Hustle gave in his post..
BMW X5 E53 98/08 WINDOW REGULATOR REPAIR KIT FRONT - L: eBay Motors (item 220629357050 end time Jul-08-10 13:08:15 PDT)

Wondering why the clips look different..Any ideas? Rather than buying the kit, gonna try Hustles idea of just replacing the clips at $1.00 each

http://www.rmeuropean.com/Images/pro...N_E095124A.jpg

BMW Part # 51-33-8-254-781.... This is the part I'm talking about.

Thanks again Hustle...last question, if i am just replacing this clip, is it necessarry to completely unmount the regulator from the door or can i get to this just by removing the inside door panel?

Will this new clip solve my problem in this thread?

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...roll-down.html

the plastic clip can be replaced without removing the window lifter. just move it to a height where it is assessible.

No just roll down the window all the way down. Then click the window switch up until you see a bolt through the square access hole on the bottom area of the regulator. Let me see if I can snap a picture real quick.

Job completed. Hustle, you were right on the money, they clip was broken. cost me $2.00 for a new one at the dealer. Getting the door panel off sounds a lot harder than it really is.

Glad I was of help! :thumbup:

So my drivers front window decided to pop out of it's holder just now, so only the portion of the window closest to the B pillar is rolling up. Guess what I'm going to replace tomorrow in all 4 windows...yay :( I needed to do MrBMWX5's fix on 3 other doors anyways.

At least its not the most difficult thing to do on your car.....It could be worse.:dunno:

But in any case, it does kind of blow when things like this happen....Sometimes even embarassing.

Exact same thing happened to my mom last week when i was visiting her in Seattle and let her drive the x while I was replacing the clutch in her 328ic. The second she called, I said "what'd you do to my X?". Two per door, did MrBMW's copper wire fix to the other doors finally...one less thing to worry about now.